My Role Model- Batman

In a world where real heroes are scarce, I have always idolized a fictional character as my role model. We all need a superhero to look up to, to comfort us, to make us feel safe; for the most part of our growing up years, our dads play that part. Also, there are lots of characters in the comic book world who make you feel safe and protected. One particular superhero does not make you feel like he’ll be there whenever you are in trouble, instead he teaches you that anyone can be a superhero. You do not need special powers like flying ability of X-ray vision to be a superhero; all it takes is a resolve. Yes, I am talking about Bruce Wayne aka Batman.

I have always been a big fan of this character. As a kid, he was my role model- no kidding! I wanted to grow up to be Batman. It was not about the cool gadgets, neither the rich man influence with his shiny mansion and a private butler. It was much more than that. Batman has been a character who is normal like all of us. He has sharpened his human abilities to superhuman levels with hard work and determination. What’s more is that even if you take away all the kickass (literally) martial arts skills and the sharp mind from him, he’d still win. It’s more about the spirit which is unbreakable.

When the villain- Bane broke Batman’s back, the comic fans thought that was the end, and there is no coming back! When villains like Scarecrow, Joker and Riddler play mindgames with him, you tend to believe that there is a limit upto which our hero’s body and mind can take. But the best part of this character is that he takes the best shot his opponent has got and then falls down and then gets right back up. The philosophy of “never say die” is what binds all great men together.

He might be a childhood fantasy, a fictional character you cannot find in real life, but the various values that are taught through them have a lasting impact on the audience’s mind. Another slightly superficial reason I want to be like Batman is because he is not a knight in the shining armour. He is hated, detested, and people call him a menace. But, that doesn’t stop him from doing what he believes is right. It might look egoistical but it is more a question of principles.

One more reason you have to love this character is because he has made his fears his strengths . He was scared of bats, he became Batman; he was scared of the dark (because of a childhood incident), he himself became the night and embraced darkness. He is an example of how far the human mind and body can be pushed. Nothing that he does in the comics and films seems impossible yet, we call him a superhero and that is not without reason.